Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Butterfinger Oatmeal Cookies (and Cookie Cups) Filled with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Filling

Peanut Butter lovers dream come true, a chewy butterfinger oatmeal sandwich cookie filled with peanut butter and cream cheese frosting. It does not get better than this for admirers of peanut butter! 

Butterfinger Oatmeal Cookies and Cookie Cups
Choices are great aren't they? Today I am giving you two ways to make chewy butterfinger oatmeal cookies with finger licking peanut butter cream cheese filling. You won't be disappointed with either I promise. Or go crazy like me and do both! The first way to enjoy
is to pipe the filling between two cookies. Ta Da! sandwich cookie for your eating pleasure. The second way, cookie cups, little cookie bowls filled with frosting. The cookie cups take a little extra time due to shaping in the mini muffin pan, but they are oh so cute.

The cookie dough is made with all brown sugar to lend that extra moisture for a fabulously chewy oatmeal cookie. The two sticks of butter for a little spread on the cookies, to keep them thinner. We want thin and chewy when filling with a decadent peanut butter and cream cheese filling. Plump and thick cookies are most marvelous in their own right, but for sandwiching purposes, they can become overwhelming. Even for a cookie monster like me.

Also, make sure to chill this dough before using. If ever there is a time to chill dough and not skip this step it is with oatmeal cookies. The cookies become so much better after letting the oats sit and absorb all the goodness. Do allow for at least a two hour chill time, but I find that overnight is better. I know you don't want to wait that long, but you will thank me when you do. Also, you will need to pull dough from refrigerator at least 45 minutes before using, to allow to soften for easier scooping.
So what are you waiting for? Go, make cookie dough.

Butterfinger Oatmeal Cookies & Cookie Cups

2 Sticks Salted Butter-Room Temperature
1 ¼ Cups Light Brown Sugar-packed
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Large Egg-room temperature
2 ½ Cups Quick Cook Oats
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ Teaspoon Salt
12 Fun Size Butterfingers or 1 ½ cups if using larger bar, crushed-put in freezer for 30 minutes before crushing. This does not include amounts for decorating cookie cup, you will need extra for that. Fun size cut into thirds work great for putting on top of the cookie cups.

Filling: *
3 Tablespoons Butter, Softened-No substitutions
4 Ounces Cream Cheese
2/3 Cup Regular Peanut Butter-Do not use all natural
1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar

                                             
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in bowl.  Set aside.

Crush butterfingers. I put in mine in a Ziploc bag and beat with a rolling pin. It will only take a few good whacks. Not too rough though or you will end up with whatever is in the bag on your counter and in the floor. Personal experience speaking here.

In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with hand mixer cream butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add egg, incorporating thoroughly. Add flour, baking soda and salt mixture. Mix just until no dry remains. Add oats and crushed butterfingers, mixing just until oats and butterfingers are covered by dough.
Chill dough a minimum of two hours, maximum of twenty four hours. Allow time for dough to soften at room temperature for easier scooping, 45 minutes minimum.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For regular cookies, line cookie sheet with parchment. Scoop by heaping tablespoon full and place on lined cookie sheet about two inches apart. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Do not over bake; cookies will continue to cook from residual heat while cooling on cookie sheet. Move to cookie rack to completely cool after five minutes.

For cookie cups, place tablespoon of cookie dough into each well of a nonstick mini muffin pan. Press down and up sides of well. I have a handy mini tart shaper; use this gadget if you have it. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Cups will puff as they bake, this is ok. Press middle down as soon as you take them out of the oven. Do this with you mini tart shaper, or with the back of a rounded spoon-measuring spoons work great for this. Allow to cool at least ten minutes before removing from pan.

For filling, cream butter, cream cheese and peanut butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time until combined. Pipe as desired.

Makes:  I made 24 cookie cups and 24 cookies/12 cookie sandwiches

*This fillling is rich! I used a fair amount of filling for each cookie sandwich and cup, but if you want a large amount it is advisable to double this recipe. You may have some left over if you do. Awww, I know you will be sad about this.
©Christy’s Cooking Creations. Please do not use my images without prior consent. Please link back to this post even if recreating and posting this recipe in your own words.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for coming and linking up at #The Weekend Social. Please be sure to come back next week starting Thursdays at 9PM EST on KitchenDreaming.com ! I hope to see you there!
    Dina@KitchenDreaming

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  2. These look absolutely delicious! I can't wait to try them! :-) Thanks for linking up with "Try a New Recipe Tuesday." I hope you will be able to join us again this week. http://our4kiddos.blogspot.com/2014/08/try-new-recipe-tuesday-beach-edition-818.html

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  3. These cookies look delicious. I am not sure which I like them better. Great job, thanks for sharing.

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